Half Moon Run
It’s the start of 2013 and you have a few new year resolutions up your sleeve. Get fit, eat less sugar, finish that novel you’re writing. But here’s an easier one you can achieve – discovering a band just before they become majorly mainstream.
With a dedicated fanbase already, the 20+ somethings Devon Portielje, Conner Molander and Dylan Phillips are together as Half Moon Run – stylings of folk rock which you can chill out and relax to without diluting the musical palette you already have. The multitasking Half Moon Run have already received critical acclaim from Mumford & Sons as well as decent exposure on YouTube (seriously – just search them) and are midway through their Australian Tour, already having performed at Woodford Folk Festival in QLD.
The single Full Circle is out now, and new album Dark Eyes will be available March 2013. We spoke to Dylan – who sits on the drums and twinkles the keys – about Half Moon Run as a whole and their Australian tour.
How did you guys team up together to become “Half Moon Run”?
Half Moon Run started, I think it was October 2010. I was in school for classical piano at the time when a friend of mine called me and said, “Hey, I hear you played drums once upon a time, do you want to come to a jam and try out?” I timidly agreed to come, and he also called Conner who’s currently the keyboardist/guitarist right now. He also called somebody else, and posted a Craigslist ad which Devon, the lead singer, responded to and so on. That first jam, there were five of us, and that’s kind of how it started. We went through a lot of changes since then, we lost two members, we were a three-piece for a long time. And now we’re back up to four.
Where did the idea of your single “Full Circle” come from?
I think Full Circle began as a really cool set of chords, and slowly the inspiration for everything else started to fill in. This was one of the rare ones where everything seemed to come together very quickly.
Who are your inspirations for songwriting and performing?
I try and take my inspiration from those I work with and those I meet. I’ve always been addicted to learning, and for most of my life I’ve always had teachers – piano teachers, jazz teachers, conductors, etc. After dropping out of the classical world to be in a band full time, I found myself picking the brains of everybody I encounter that I feel I can learn something from. Recently, meeting drummer Robbie Kuster from Patrick Watson has been one of my greatest inspirations. Otherwise, when HMR is songwriting, we leave our influences at the door and try and work purely off each other and with what feels best, and we let the songs go wherever they need to go without pretense.
How much input does the band as a whole have when developing ideas for your music videos?
We’ve always wanted to be able to have full control over the content of a music video, but we just haven’t had the time. The full circle video was a miracle in that it even happened. From start to finish the whole thing took about 3 hours of our time. We were already writing music as a band at the cabin (where it was filmed) and decided to invite some friends over for the shoot and basically to see what would happen. For Call Me, we were lucky enough to have been contacted by an incredible young guy from Poland who streamlined the whole project himself over a summer. We love working with very gifted people with a vision, but we would some day love to make our own.
Did you ever dream of coming to Australia to perform? Is this the first time to come to Oz?
I dreamt as a kid about coming to Oz, but never about performing, and no I’ve never been to Australia. My mom had a good friend from Sydney who sent us a tape of Don Spencer once that we used to have on repeat in the car. Australia has always been kind of a mythical place for me, so it’s pretty amazing to get the chance to see it.
What would you love to do in Australia between gigs to wind down?
Personally, I’d love to surf. I’m in Tofino, BC right now for my christmas vacation, and I’ve been surfing with snow on the beach. It’s pretty special here, but I’d love to be able to surf without a wetsuit.
Name your dream gig – who you’d perform with, and any location in the world.
To be honest, we’ve already experienced some pretty dream-like gigs. Playing to 1600 people in Reykjavik and having the crowd sing along with our songs was pretty unreal. Sharing the stage with Lou Reed and Metric at Radio City music hall in NYC was ridiculous. Most recently, selling out our home venue Le National in Montreal, and having great lights, a string quartet, an awesome show, and the most excited and involved fans we’ve ever encountered, was a dream come true for us. We’re happy with the way things are going right now, and really just want to keep it up!
See Half Moon Run travel up and down the East Coast before it’s too late on their Australian Tour below.
Thursday 10th – January 2013: Spirit Bar And Lounge – Traralgon (VIC) Tickets from the Venue 03 5176 0464 and OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Friday 11th – January 2013: Ding Dong Lounge – Melbourne (VIC) Tickets from the Venue www.dingdonglounge.com.au and OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Saturday 12th – January 2013: Karova Lounge, Ballarat (VIC) Tickets from the Venue (03) 5332 9122 and OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Thursday 17th – January 2013: The Byron Bay Brewery – Buddha Bar, Byron Bay (NSW) Tickets from OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Friday 18 – January 2013: Alhambra Lounge – Brisbane (QLD) Tickets from OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Saturday 19 – January 2013: The Loft – Gold Coast (QLD) Tickets from OzTix 1300 762 545 or www.oztix.com.au
Sunday 20 – January 2013: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa (QLD) Free Entry – www.cafelemonde.com.au
Thursday 24th – January 2013: Moonshine Band Room @ The Steyne – Manly (NSW) Free Entry – www.hotelsteyne.com.au/moon-shine
Friday 25th – January 2013: The Standard – Sydney (NSW) Tickets from the Venue www.wearethestandard.com.au and Moshtix 1300 GET TIX or www.moshtix.com.au
Facebook: Half Moon Run
MySpace: Half Moon Run
